Shoes tend to get wet during outings on rainy or snowy days. This problem is acute particularly in countries regularly featuring rain, snow and sleet, ski sites, and so on. Since the drying process may require several hours, sometimes even the entire day, it is desirable for more rapid drying, particularly when the user needs to go outdoors again soon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,364 to Cochrane discloses a drying apparatus that utilizes air circulation to uniformly dry articles. The apparatus includes an enclosure having racks upon which the articles to be dried are placed. An air exchanger couples to the enclosure to recirculate and heat air within the enclosure. Recirculation operates continuously while articles are being dried, and recirculation air temperature is maintained around a predetermined level through a thermostat coupled to heating elements. The air exchanger is configured so that air expelled from the air exchanger travels upward near the enclosure's walls, then downward in the center of the enclosure back to the air exchanger. An exhaust fan is controlled by a humidistat to remove humid air from the enclosure whenever the humidity within the enclosure exceeds a predetermined level. Consequently, a mean humidity level is maintained within the enclosure to prevent excessive drying, and substantial recirculation of air results in improved efficiency.
One drawback of the disclosure of Cochrane is that the entire enclosure is heated, which results in energy waste if the enclosure is not fully occupied.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe dryer which overcomes the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a comprehensive solution to shoe drying.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.